                {:status status
                 :revision-id revision-id}))
 
-        (is (= (dissoc (assoc saved-coll1
-                              :deleted true
-                              :metadata ""
-                              :revision-id revision-id
-                              :user-id nil)
-                       :revision-date :transaction-id)
-               (dissoc deleted-coll1 :revision-date :transaction-id)))
+        ;; Make sure that the saved tombstone has expected concept-id, revision-id,
+        ;; user-id, empty metadata, and deleted = true.
+        (assert-collection-tombstone saved-coll1 deleted-coll1 revision-id nil)
 
         ;; Make sure that a deleted collection gets it's own unique revision date
         (is (t/after? (:revision-date deleted-coll1) (:revision-date saved-coll1))

               {:status status
                :revision-id revision-id}))

        ;; Make sure that the saved tombstone has expected concept-id, revision-id, empty metadata,
        ;; and deleted = true.
        (is (= (dissoc (assoc saved-coll1
                              :deleted true
                              :metadata ""
                              :revision-id revision-id
                              :user-id "user101")
                       :revision-date :transaction-id)
               (dissoc deleted-coll1 :revision-date :transaction-id)))

        ;; make sure that a deleted collection gets it's own unique transaction-id
        (is (> (:transaction-id deleted-coll1) (:transaction-id saved-coll1)))

          variable-association (util/create-and-save-variable-association coll1 variable 1 1)
          service (util/create-and-save-service provider-id 1)
          service-association (util/create-and-save-service-association coll1 service 1 1)]

      ;; variable association is not a tombstone before collection is deleted
      (is (= false (is-association-tombstone? variable-association)))
      ;; service association is not a tombstone before collection is deleted
